Golf training gloves

Why use golf training gloves? That’s a good question and I suppose it depends on a couple of factors. An old friend of mine is a golf pro in Hawaii and he has been touting golf training gloves for ever. If your main concern is to go out and get a little exercise on the golf course on a beautiful day, then golf training gloves may not be necessary. However, if you are like the millions of golfers who would like to improve their game, the twenty to fifty dollars spent on golf training gloves is well spent.

Golf is like other sports in that there is a social function and a sporting function both operating at the same time. People’s focus shifts from one to the other, rarely is there a balance that produces a quality performance. It hardly matters if the social aspects produce the desired effect of fun, relaxation and a chance to get in the game. Fitness and training are promoted over and over again. To be fit is to be strong enough to play the game, with breath sufficient to walk the distance and enough conscious will to make it through when the going gets a little rough. There‘s also a role that luck plays in the process. But even with luck it’s been said that it is 80% receptivity and fitness. I think the idea is that when you are fit, you can be ready to capitalize on good opportunities as they arise.

If performance training is in your frame of reference, then golf training gloves should be considered along with all the other training aids on the market. Some have to do with a particular training philosophy while others deal with specific swing or stance elements. Some are just a marketing ploy. If you look at golf from with a wide view, it is easily discerned that the hands, arms and shoulders play a big role. Golf training gloves deal with connective relationship between the hands and the wrists with the arms and shoulders. With most golf training gloves, you actually wear only one glove on the opposite hand (if you’re right handed, you use a left hand glove). Through varied design means, the glove directs the wrist action, helping it to conform properly. Golf training gloves promote an overall better swing, more direction control and improved game. The price for golf training gloves is initially steep, but when compared to shoes or clubs – the cost in minimal. Give it a try and swing away!

Barcelona spain - so much fun in one day

The city of Barcelona, Spain, as all the Iberian Peninsula, has been clearly marked by its long history which dates to the Roman times. But what really left a deep impression and can still be fully appreciated today is what the Arabs left behind. Not only can you awe at the lovely cathedrals, temples and other buildings but you can feel it in the powerful, brave character of the people in Catalunya. The cities of Lleida, Girona, Tarragona and Barcelona make up the region called Catalunya and with it an extensive shore line which starts at the French border and goes mid-way down the Mediterranean until the Community of Valencia.

Having so much coast, Barcelona has not only been able to captivate tourism in the summer with excellent beach resorts, hotels and water sports, but also thanks to its cultural and architectural activities. One of the most outstanding sights that everyone wants to see when traveling to Barcelona is the Sacred Family or as many people know it even though they do not speak Spanish is the famous Sagrada Familia at the Placa de la Sagrada Square. Antonio Gaudi, a renowned architect started to build a church for the needy in 1883. He, together with other architects, worked on this project which was supported by donations from those who cared. In 1898 he decided that he wanted his masterpiece to one of the most original known up until then and changed the typical bell towers which were always square to be rounded off. He also added the Swiss cheese appearance to them. By around 1923, the chapel called Saint Joseph, the east facing and the crypt had been completed. It had been worked on vigorously up until Gaudi died in 1926 and therefore buried in the crypt designed by him. Since then all the bell towers and other parts have been completed but it still has not been finished. But all around the city you can find gaudiґs works: La Pedrera, Mila House, and the park Guell. But The Sagrada Familia is still one of the most impressive pieces of architecture ever seen.

A city full of Museums and Attractions

But if you are looking for more strong emotions, then head over to the Picasso Museum. This museum is shared between five medieval palaces which contain a nice overall view of his different fazes. Therefore, it lets you travel from Malaga which was his home town to Paris, so well reflected in his paintings, to Russia and his captivating detailed ballet paintings and finally to Barcelona where he settled. This is an absolute must and even more interesting is that it costs so little, has long visiting hours to let you roam about, great public transport combinations and is found in the Cuitat Vella Parc. The Ciutat Vella ( the beautiful city ), was once the entire city of Barcelona until the end of the 14th century and was the principal and only surviving zones made up of four areas: The Gothic Neighbourhood, La Ribera, Las Ramblas ( flowered promenade ) and the Raval. It is so easy to find and get there because there are four distinctive landmarks that lead us by the hand as if it were a famous framed picture. Using the Catalunya Square as its left frontier, you go straight down Las Ramblas Street until you see the impressive Christopher Columbus Monument towering over you as soon as you reach the edge of the port. Leisurely strolling towards the north in the direction of the Olympic Port you come across the Cuitadella Park. At this point turn left to feast your eyes on the emotive Arch of Triumph some blocks away. Within this enclosed circle of narrow cobblestone streets and typically set up shops, you are wrapped up in living history.

It does not matter if you are an avid Barcelona Football ( Soccer ) fan and know that this team is usually called ґBarcaґ, or just a visitor who wants to enjoy a good match, do not forget to pass by the Nou Camp football stadium to reserve or buy your tickets. Football season is usually between September and May. This year Fran Rikard has led the Barca to win the Spanish Football League so there will be a lot of celebrations and neat souvenirs to buy.

The Costa Brava and Costa Dorada, as this area is referred to, has clean cared for beaches and caters to the tourist both inside the city as well as on the outskirts with a wide selection of accomodations. There chalets, semi-detached homes and apartments for rent or all kinds of hotels starting from a simple youth hostel, passing through a bed and breakfast type lodging to three, four and five star hotels. Whether you are going to be in Barcelona for a romantic honeymoon, just a quick weekend get away, family holidays or a business trip, you can enjoy yourself in one way or another.

You will never be bored because the information available on Barcelona can be easily found on the net, through travel agencies, or going directly to a tourist information booth when you arrive at the airport. This information is offered to you in many different languages and is usually free. It provides the traveler with precise information about museums and other monuments ( their prices and hours ), temporary exhibitions, banks, entertainment, restaurants and shopping areas, the sorts of hotels and where they are all located on very simple maps.

A vacation for a family of three to montego bay at the coyaba beach resort

The Coyaba Beach Resort is not only one of the best resorts in Montego Bay, but also in the whole of Jamaica. In fact in my opinion one of the best small luxury resorts in the Caribbean.

We were looking for a cheap Montego Bay package, and a vacation for a family of three to Montego Bay, and The Coyaba Beach Resort more than filled the bill.

Our daughter is only eight and so we needed a decent size room which we certainly got at Coyaba. The room was very spacious with two large beds, overlooking the beach. We were on the third floor, with good views, but heard that the first floor had a lot of traffic noise from the road. It rained on one of the days we were there, and the TV wasn’t great, but we were able to get a video for our daughter.

We managed to find what was called a cheap Montego Bay Vacation package, pay for four nights and get the fifth one free, and that made it a good deal especially as it was all inclusive.

Anyway the room was good, but the fridge wasn’t stocked unless we asked room service. The same was true for things like shampoo and shower gel, although to be fair, when we called, they arrived quickly.

The pool area was nice, and we didn’t struggle at all for sun beds even although the resort was pretty full. There was however a mysterious shortage of towels and something called beach towel cards which were quite frustrating. Waiter service around the pool was almost non existent, unless the pool area was quiet.

The beach looks great from the photos, but it is definitely a man made beach.

There really wasn’t anything for my daughter to do, but she tends to want to be with us, so that wasn’t a problem, although the lack of choice of food at lunch time for her could have been a problem, lucky she likes burgers!!

The breakfast eggs were good and the chicken and pork dishes at dinner.

Overall we enjoyed our stay at the Coyaba Beach Resort. I can’t really say it is the best Montego Bay Resort, but it is small, relatively intimate, and privately owned. It can justify being one of the top small luxury resorts in the Caribbean, but I’m not sure I would have been so happy had we paid the full price, but it was OK for a vacation for a family of three to Montego Bay

The party wall agreement isn t all fun and games

Before jumping into the purchase of a duplex, there are some legal issues that you'll want to consider. Many are unaware that duplex living is akin to living in a condo, and there are certain agreements that should jointly agreed upon, and on paper, before you sign the dotted line.

Duplexes have become more and more popular as they are a great way to afford the luxuries of home ownership without becoming totally housebroke. Generally much more affordable than the average single family home of equivalent square footage, the duplex appeals especially to young families and to couples looking to get into the market. But like any "great deal" there's a flip side that should not be overlooked.

To begin with, you're entering into ownership beside a neighbor, a very close neighbor in fact. So close, is your neighbor that you'll share a wall that divides your respective homes. The part of duplex living and ownership that is similar to that of a condo, is the legally binding agreement called, "The Party Wall Agreement". No, this is not only there so you can mutually decide on who's having parties, and when. Although, it may delineate acceptable noise levels for your prospective parties. But, what it really is, is a sort of home association for a party of two.

The Party Wall agreement, will cover how the two sides of ownership will deal with shared expenses such as insurance, structural issues, including roof upkeep and replacement, foundation and shared utility service lines. It may also include routine maintenance and address stylistic and architectural issues such as the exterior look of the home, and the construction of other improvements such as fences and sheds.

Consider that before purchasing a duplex you are entitled to peruse the already existing party agreement and to enter into negotiations to make amendments, if necessary. If this is the duplex owner's first time selling one half of the duplex, you might want to have, "negotiating a party-wall agreement" as one of your offer's subjects. Note that down the line, should one duplex owner break the rules, the other owner is technically protected by the agreement and can put a lien on the other's properties in order to collect funds, if need be.

Of course, you can have the world's best legal documents, but if your uber close neighbor is a "not - so-nice" person, well then you're likely to have problems. This being said, just as in a condo development, if you can meet with you're fellow neighbor, and get a sense of who they are, and what kind of life they lead, it may give you more insight into whether or not you'll want to live close to them, and enter into a legal agreement with them. The flip side, is of course nothing but the agreement can really protect you. Seemingly great people, can turn out to be terrible neighbors. Not to be a kill joy here, but if you're considering purchasing a duplex, keep in mind the true dual nature of ownership you're entering into. It can be a wonderful investment so long as you collectively set the appropriate rules to make it so.

Your first car loan what you need to know

So that bucket of bolts you drove throughout high school and college has gasped its last exhaust-filled breath. It’s done. That means you’re in the market for a new car. Soon you’ll brave the treacherous world of the car lot. Be careful, it’s a jungle out there. Eager salesmen hover like vultures, ready and willing to separate you from your hard-earned cash.

Once you decide on a car, you’ll then have to survive the depths of the dealership, where finance managers lurk at every corner—pen and paper in hand, waiting for you to sign on the dotted line. But don’t worry, with a little prior planning, you can get that new car without breaking the bank.

First off, you need to make a decision: buy or lease? If you like to drive a car until it dies—and with today’s autos running well past the 100,000 mile mark—then you’ll probably want to buy. However, if you see yourself in a different ride every couple of years, then leasing might be the right option for you. In a lease, you’re essentially renting the car for a pre-determined amount of time (usually three years). During that time, you’ll have to keep the car in tip-top shape and only drive it for an agreed-upon amount of miles per year (usually around 15,000). After your lease is up, you can purchase the car at a residual price or start a lease on another car.

Once you decide on buying or leasing, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to pay for it. First, decide how much you can afford to spend on a new car. As a good rule of thumb, many experts suggest that you spend no more than 20 percent of your net income per month on a car payment and other related auto-expenses.

Next, decide how you want to pay for it. Once you’re on the lot and fall in love with your dream car, the salesperson will do everything in their power to get you to finance the car through the dealership. Auto financing is a big money industry, and car manufacturers would be remiss to not take advantage of it. Financing with the dealership is tempting, as it’s the quickest way for you to drive off the lot in your new set of wheels.

But buyer beware, dealers know that buying a car can be a mentally exhausting experience, and finance departments will often add hidden fees in the paperwork for services or features you don’t want (e. g., extended warranties, service agreements, etc.). Dealerships also offer attractive financing deals like rebates or low interest rates, but many of them depend on your credit score—which you should always know before you even step foot on the lot. You can check your credit score and correct any errors by visiting equifax. com, experian. com, or transunion. com.

If you want to be a truly empowered car buyer, then secure a loan through a bank, credit union or other lending institution before you buy. You’ll generally get a lower interest rate than what the dealership can offer you, and you’ll essentially become a “cash buyer”. This means you’ll have more negotiating power on the total price of the vehicle, lower monthly rates, and no chance of the dealerships finance department sneaking in any hidden fees into a finance contract. Most lending institutions, upon approving your loan, will give you a check that can be made out to a dealership. Negotiate the price of the car along with tax and licensing fees, and off you go.

Whether you lease or buy, finance through the dealer or through a separate lending entity, always read every contract that requires your signature thoroughly. Make sure the figures in the contract are correct and that you understand all of the charges included. Also, if at any time you should feel pressured by a car salesman or lending agency, walk away. Remember, you are the buyer, therefore you have the power.

Happy hunting!

A brief history of credit cards

Credit cards have nowadays insinuated themselves into all corners of our lives, and it is rare for an adult these days to not carry at least one card. As well as being used in the traditional manner to buy goods or services in person, they are also now used online, over the telephone, for writing checks, and even for withdrawing money from cash machines. People use them in all sorts of ways - as a means of borrowing, as a convenient payment method, and even for earning money through cashback or reward schemes.

Despite their ubiquity in modern life, credit cards have a fairly short history, with the first general purpose credit card being introduced less than fifty years ago. In this article we'll look at the origins of credit cards, and then at how they've developed over the years with the emphasis on the United Kingdom market.

The very first credit card was launched by Diners Club in 1951, and was limited to use in twenty seven New York restaurants. It wasn't a huge success initially, with only 200 cards being issued. The real story of credit cards began in 1958 with the introduction of two major new products. The first was the American Express charge card, which boasted over a million users within five years of it being launched.

The other innovation was the first example of what we now recognize as a credit card: the Bank Americard, a general purpose card developed by Joseph Williams while working at the Bank of America. Over time, this card was to develop into the Visa company that we know today. Eight years after the introduction of this card, fourteen U. S. banks formed an alliance to launch a rival to the Bank Americard, named Interlink, which was to evolve into the Mastercard payment processor by 1979.

The first UK general card was launched by Barclays Bank in 1967, and their Barclaycard is still one of the most popular and widespread cards forty years later. In 1972, four other UK banks joined forces to launch the Access card in competition with Barclays, and for the next decade or so this remained the status quo.

It was during the 1980s that the credit card industry began consolidating behind the two big processors that had evolved into their current form by this time, Visa and Mastercard. Banks dropped their own processing facilities, and began to issue cards that could be used at any outlet that supported these two main payment processors. It was this move that led to the great expansion in card use, as they could now be easily used almost anywhere in the world.

The next major change to the industry was the revolutionizing technology of the internet, allowing purely online cards such as Egg in the UK to offer attractive benefits to the cardholder at low cost to the issuers. Competition between lenders quickly heated up, and features such as balance transfer offers began to appear.

Balance transfer deals allowed cardholders to move their debt from card to card and avoid paying any interest on it almost indefinitely, or so it seemed. Unfortunately, this ruse of 'credit card surfing' couldn't last as it was costing the credit industry billions every year, and so a balance transfer fee was imposed which made it much less attractive to cardholders.

The last major change in the credit card industry has been the introduction of Chip and PIN technology which has cut card fraud substantially by requiring payments to be approved via entering a code number rather than relying on a signature. The technology began to be rolled out in the UK in 2004, and is now fully in use across the country.

What's next for credit cards? Only the issuers know, but with record levels of debt many people are reluctant to apply for new cards, and so we're likely to see more attractive features becoming available to new applicants as credit companies compete for the shrinking amount of business available.

A man s guide to the embarrassment of buying lingerie

Lets face it, we men are obsessed with women’s bodies and yet if I needed to tell someone the size of her breasts the best I could probably muster would be “just about right” and if she were to ask me right now what her dress size was I would probably mutter that it didn’t make her bum look big at all. This is in part due to my ever-present attempt to gain brownie points and not spend the night sleeping in the kitchen with the dog, but it is in one big part due to my ignorance. Ask her what size my waist is and she could tell you without a second’s hesitation. It really isn’t that difficult to find out this information either and the list of instructions on how to find out would consist solely of:

1 – Open cupboard door.

2 – Remove appropriate garment.

3 – Check label and make mental note of size.

Even my brain could cope with that first thing in the morning but despite telling myself I should do it I never actually remember to. This could partially be because there is something instilled in the back of my brain that tells me the second I remove her bra and start ferreting around inside it, her mother is bound to burst down the front door unannounced and catch me in the act of apparently sniffing, or worse still putting on, her beloved daughter’s bra. This really isn’t a situation I want to find myself in but if I want to please her (my partner, not her mother) then I should do it. In fact, every man should do it. Go to your wife or girlfriend’s closet and find out her bra size. Write it on a piece of paper and secrete it in your wallet if necessary.

Of course, even once I know the size of her bra that doesn’t make the actual selection any easier. As a general rule of thumb, I’m led to believe that a black latex nurse’s outfit is not considered to be either lingerie or indeed comfortable so I will try to steer clear of that as far as possible, no matter how appealing they look. I will try my utmost to ensure that whatever I buy will not only please me but will make my partner feel sexy as well. This should imply that she will be able to move comfortably and bits don’t poke out when she lifts an arm or tries to sit down, or more importantly lie down.

Visiting any shop that has lingerie in is bound to be a big deal the first time I try it but I’m a grown man and I should be able to cope. The sales assistant probably won’t think that the stuff I buy is for me unless I say something embarrassingly stupid and wear fake breasts. In fact, there’s a very good chance she’s dealt with people like me, and people like you, on a fairly regular basis. You know, the kind of person who skulks around by the knickers looking around shiftily and sweating a lot. In fact, come to think of it, it’s probably best if I don’t do that, and just head straight over to her instead. She will probably be very helpful.

I saw a sign in a lingerie shop that I passed three times the other day and it said they would gift wrap the item. I decided there and then that if I ever built up the courage to go in the shop and actually buy any lingerie, instead of keep walking past it, I would definitely take advantage of that offer. I think being confronted by me carrying a Christmas cracker wrapped present and a proud smile like your son or daughter gets the first time they pee on their own would probably detract from the overall romanticism of the gesture. Besides, I wouldn’t have to carry it home in a way that meant others might be able to see what I’d bought.

I can’t wait to finally see her wearing the new lingerie I buy. I guess the only thing that’s left to do now is actually find out her size and go and buy something appropriate, that is not a latex nurse’s outfit.

A guide to making money online

Making money is becoming more and more attainable as time goes by. The Internet even opened up a new avenue of making money, something which does not require one to go one a 9 to 5 job everyday just to make ends meet. More and more people are getting involved in online money-making opportunities. If you are one of those people who are afraid to go ahead and take the plunge from a fulltime offline work to fulltime online work, you must be able to prepare yourself first before making any decision.

Making money online is still a job. The only difference is that there is more freedom when you are earning purely from the Internet. There are no cranky bosses to please, no hours to satisfy and no absences marked on days you don't feel like working. Most of the work being given online is volume-based and not hour-based, although there are some clients who do pay an hourly rate for freelancers. Either way, there will be no corporate attire requirements or anything that will require you to travel farther than your backyard.

Making money online is not as stable as an offline job. You may find some social benefits not applicable to online money-making ventures. There are a variety of online jobs to choose from. The best way to know your online working niche is to have an honest assessment of yourself, your strengths and weaknesses. If writing if your thing, you can go look for freelance writing opportunities online. If you stand a chance getting paid to post in forums or moderate online communities, you can go ahead and do so. You can also do transcription jobs for documents, copywriting, programming, ghostwriting and get involved in paid blogging. The possibilities are endless.

Getting legitimate online money making ventures requires that you yourself establish a professional and reliable online presence. Also, you will have to do research before you go do a project with anybody. Remember, the likelihood of being deceived is much higher. There is much risk in trusting strangers who give you lucrative offers. There are trusted people. Always look for referrals and check if other people who tried under the same job have been paid consistently by this person. Make sure that you are working for the right people and that you are not being scammed. Nothing is more painful than laboring days and nights only to find out that the whole project was a scam. Joining in forums will help you know which projects are scam and which are legitimate paying ones.

When making money online, having various projects running simultaneously can be to your advantage. Should one project pan out or lie low, you will have other sources of income to support you. The most important thing when you are making money online is that you plan everything strategically in such a way that you never run out of work to do and will have a continuous stream of income. Never put all of your eggs in a single basket. Remember that the world is your office and you must harness this opportunity to have more writing projects and not be tied down to a single who may change his mind midway in the project and leave you with no money and nothing to work for.

Also, do acknowledge that the nature of online money-making opportunities are seasonal. There will be dry days where all operations will cease. But you have to be ready for those times. Do overtime work for seasons where there is a lot of work being given out so that you will have ample funds should dry spells come from time to time.

The automatic champion

“Babe” Didrickson Zaharias was a phenomenal athlete. This Texan ran, jumped, rode horses, and played basketball and baseball—with tremendous flair.

In the Olympic tryouts in 1932, she won five first places in track and field events. In the games of that year in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the women’s 80 meter hurdles, a gold medal in the javelin throw, and a silver medal in the high jump.

After the Olympics, Zaharias turned to golf. Although she started from scratch, she won the National Women’s Amateur and the British Women’s Amateur.

The press hailed her as a “natural athlete.” They often referred to as an “automatic champion.”

But the real story behind Zaharias fairy-tale success was her painstaking diligence. Her success came from studied repetition. In every sport she undertook, she was methodical, deliberate, and persistent. She was neither “natural” nor “automatic.”

When, for example, she played golf for the first time, she did not automatically master the game. Instead she studied the game carefully, covering all its complex skill sets, under the tutelage of the finest golf teacher she could find. She looked at all the elements of the golf swing, broke it down into parts, then put it all together in a fluid movement.

Besides using an analytical approach to understand the game, Zaharias also locked the information into her motor nervous system through exhaustive practice. She would spend as many as 12 hours a day on the golf course, hitting as many as a thousand balls. Her hands would often becomes so sore that she could hardly grip her club. She stopped only long enough to tape up her hands before picking up the club again.

Zaharias learned to play golf the right way. She started out by hiring an exceptional teacher. She analyzed each part of the golf swing then put them all together in a fluid motion. She practiced for about 12 hours a day. She exercised self-discipline and self-sacrifice. And she didn’t doubt herself. Her previous successes had created an enduring self-confidence. She believed that if she applied herself she would be a golf champion. She proved this belief true.

Zaharias took a risk. She risked her reputation as an athlete by trying something new. She also risked the time and money it cost her to perfect her new sport.

Above all, she was methodical in the way she went about inventing herself as a champion golfer. She chose a gifted teacher, studied all aspects of the game, and put her new knowledge into practice, converting theory into motor learning, coordination, and stamina.

Avoiding credit card debt preventive medicine is best

Credit card debt is one of the most wide spread financial problems throughout many countries of the world. The convenience of using credit cards, combined with the special offers, discounts and reward systems offered by the credit card companies make this method of paying for goods the number one favorite for hundreds of millions of people. However, irrational spending or simply gradual uncontrolled spending habits can lead to a lot of accumulated debt. Preventing this is essential, as it is much easier to avoid credit card debt problems before they grow strong, instead of battling them when they are already at maximum intensity.

The temptation to use credit cards repeatedly a fact that is also supported by the reward systems and lower monthly payments - will often lead to debt problems. Here are a few tips that will help you use your credit cards more wisely and enable you to prevent the unpleasant situations of having to pay off credit card debts: Set your budget create a framework for a monthly budget, as this will enable you to get a better sense of what your earning and spending balance is. Much notice that they simply can't stick with the planned budget in this case you should leave your credit card at home when going shopping, and use cash instead. Try to pay as much of the balance for each month. Don't settle for the minimum payment, as that will gradually develop into credit card debt as you are loosing quite a lot of money to interest rates.

Always remember that your credit card is a cash substitute, nothing more. You can either carry a balance, which comes with a high interest loan or you can make the minimum payments. Although the amount of the minimum payment seems insignificant (it is usually around 3% of the entire balance), this approach will gradually put you in debt. The credit card company accepts such low payments because they get their money back from keeping you in debt for an unlimited period by using high interest rates.

Many studies have been carried out on the psychology of the credit card owner. We tend to spend more than we can afford, own things that are above our financial reality levels and gratify an immediate need with a debt that might take years to pay off. Try to adapt your spending habits to your life style and earnings. If you can't pay off the balance on a monthly basis, then you are going into a vicious circle of overspending and credit card debt. Don't use the credit card anymore, until you pay off the outstanding balance. You should also make sure to pay it off on time, as there might be late fees and different other financial penalties that will further complicate your debt problem. Your credit record will also get damaged if your payments are inconsistent and you are often late with them.

Prevent credit card debt by making sure to keep your finances simple. Use only one or two credit cards, if possible. The more cards you have the higher are the chances that you will not be able to pay them off in time. Never pay off one credit card balance with another credit card. If this happens, you need to drastically change your spending habits and come up with a good credit card management plan. Cash advances might sound attractive, but the truth is that they come with higher interest rates and you don't get a grace period. There are also transaction fees to worry about.

The credit industry is extremely dynamic, and credit card issuers are always trying new ways to convince more people to sign up with their services. Different forms of rewards, life insurances, protection plans or point systems were created to make the credit card plans more attractive. Make sure you don't let your emotional side dictate when you make a credit card related decision. Getting free gifts or free air miles sounds amazing, but is it really worth it? Try to base your choice on hard facts and a realistic financial plan, not on an advertising created fantasy.

Fun family road trip activities

Instead of letting the kids watch DVDs during your next road trip, use those long hours in the car to sharpen their minds.

That's the advice from Dr. Katherine Wiesendanger, an education professor at Longwood University in Farmville, Va. She offers these tips for turning those mindless hours in the car to mind-sharpening opportunities.

Official Navigator

No minivan sallying forth to vacation wonderlands can arrive without a designated navigator. Why not appoint your child to the post? An official trip navigator's title and duties are a great way to reinforce map reading, mathematics and geography skills.

Dr. Wiesendanger recommends that during the trip, parents require the navigator to trace the family's progress on a map. Every hour, call for an official report from the backseat, asking the navigator to detail location, current direction of travel, the next exit, the nearest town and the next state.

Mom or Dad can also add a mathematics component to navigator reports by asking for the total miles traveled and remaining, which the navigator can learn to compute using location information and the map's scale. The driver can use the odometer to double-check.

A to Z

Dr. Wiesendanger suggests that road trips also present opportunities for kids and parents to sharpen verbal skills. Story-telling, for example, can involve the entire family and exercise everyone's mind.

One idea is to use "story starters." One family member starts the story with a simple "Once upon a time" statement. Each family member then takes a turn to build on the story. These stories can take imaginative, often humorous turns that entertain and create memories.

Another mind exercise idea is having kids keep a daily vacation journal, starting in the car. Writing brief reflections on the day's experience and tomorrow's anticipation lets kids practice expressing themselves. The journal also becomes a vacation keepsake that kids and parents are likely to treasure a few years down the road.

Hardwood floor care

In order to enjoy the full benefits of a hardwood floor, you have to apply the right maintenance techniques. Since hard wood, no matter how sturdy, is organic, it can be susceptible to wear and decay if you do not take care of it. Thus, if you want it to last for a long time, you must be diligent enough to maintain it with proper cleaning and waxing.

Hardwood floors are somewhat expensive. And because they are an investment, it is but prudent to make sure that you get the maximum value for your money as the years progress. Thus, we face the question. How do we take care of our hardwood floors? Consider the tips below.

- Avoid too much sun exposure

If the room where your hardwood floor is has a large window, protect it from the sun using sheer curtains or blinds. Ultra violet rays are said to have ill effects on hardwood floors.

- Don't drag your furniture around

This pertains particularly to the large furniture. If you want to move your oak sofa to another location, use a dolly or have people lift it. Never drag it across the floor as it may scar the finish or dig deep into the wood itself. Also, use felt contacts under the furnitures' legs to prevent their weight from creating scratches and dents on the flooring.

- Clean up spills and stain immediately.

If your hardwood floor has a good and intact finish, then you have nothing to worry about. But if it has already been there for a while, the finishing might already be stripped off and allow the water to seep into the wood. When this happens, sanding and refinishing the part of the floor that got wet is a good idea. If this technique fails, you might have to replace that particular plank with a new one.

- Sweep your hardwood floor regularly

Use a broom with fine exploded bristles as they are most effective in trapping grit and dust from the creases and corners of your flooring. Broom bristles that are too soft might only drag the dust further into your flooring and fill the cracks.

In conclusion, the way you care for your hardwood floor should mirror how you care for things you value. Your hardwood floor not only provides physical beauty to your home but also ushers in a sense of homey comfort that will forever be absent with a concrete floor.

Etiqueta de poquer

Si eres un principiante en el juego, o mas bien un experto que se ha dedicado toda la vida a apuestas y partidos de Pуquer, aprender las normas de conducta nunca esta de mas. Aquн te presentamos algunas reglas no tan estrictas pero importantes a la hora de demostrar tu estilo y profesionalismo.

En el Pуquer:

1) No debes mirar ni intentar leer las cartas de los demбs jugadores antes de que ellos mismos expongan las cartas en la mesa. No es considerado apropiado.

2) No debes revelar el contenido de tus cartas antes de terminar ese partido o mano. Si lo haces los demбs jugadores sabrбn si has mentido o como es tu situaciуn. Tambiйn podrбn saber que otras cartas quedan en las manos de los demбs jugadores.

3) No debes comenzar la jugada si todavнa no llego tu turno. No lo hagas ni en broma, y si lo haces por error, pide disculpas a los demбs jugadores ya que es un acto que no es aceptado en el poquer.

4) No debes amontonar las fichas del partido apiсadamente o desordenadamente. Probablemente va a molestar en la mesa a los demбs jugadores, e interferir en el reparto de las cartas.

5) No debes ayudar a demбs jugadores ni decir cosas que influyan sus a sus decisiones en el partido. Puede causar problemas entre todos los jugadores. Cada uno deberб tomar sus propias decisiones y equivocarse es parte del juego.

6) No debes usar el telйfono celular en el casino. Si estas en medio del partido y debes recibir una llamada urgente pide disculpas a los demбs jugadores y retнrate del partido hasta que termines de hablar.

7) No debes hacer trampa ni estafar. Pretender que tienes mejores cartas de las que tienes es parte del juego, pero la trapa y la estafa estбn prohibidos.

8) No debes maldecir o usar lenguaje obsceno en el partido de Pуquer. Tampoco debes amenazar al repartidor del juego ni a cualquiera de los jugadores. Es importante mantener la calma a pesar de los resultados del juego.

9) Es importante respetar el partido sin quebrar, llorar, estropear las cartas a la mesa o a las fichas.

10) Finalmente, no traigas objetos electrуnicos como cбmara fotogrбfica o filmadora, radio, etc. Son artнculos inapropiados para mantener el estado neutral en un partido de Pуquer.

11) No debes fumar deliberadamente en medio del partido. En muchos casinos esta prohibido, y si juegas con amigos asegurate que no moleste a ninguno.

Todas estas normas, como mencione previamente, no estбn escritas en ningъn reglamento del Pуquer pero si son importantes de respetar y recordar a la hora que te propongas jugar. Disfruta tu juego y buena suerte!

Holidays and student budgets what to do

Maybe you’ve just finished your exams. Maybe you’re still writing final papers. The last thing on your mind has been the holidays, but now that they’re almost here, what are you going to do? How are you going pay for the gifts that you need to buy?

Budget

Although it might already be too late for this, at least now is the time to make a mental note for next year to budget extra money for gifts in December. It’s the same thing as budgeting the extra money you need for books each January and each September. It’s better not to be caught off guard by these things!

Use your credit card wisely

It is not smart to put hundreds of dollars of Christmas gifts on your credit card. If you are not going to be able to pay back your credit card, then don’t use it. It is smarter to get another, separate loan, or to call your bank to lower your student loan payment for this month than to put it on your credit card which could have an interest rate as high as 20%!

Organize the gift exchange

Instead of giving presents to everyone of your friends, organize a few gift exchanges: maybe your residence floor, your sorority sisters, or your biochemistry friends will want to do an exchange. You can set a price limit for each exchange too, like $5 or $10.

Homemade gifts

The best gifts are homemade gifts. You might want to make your gift exchange a homemade gift exchange! If you are short on time right now, but you know that you will have time later, you can always give some coupons for Christmas. Be sure that you remember to honor them, though! Think of your talents: making someone a home-cooked meal, giving a personal manicure or pedicure, or giving lessons on how to play bridge could be a great gift. If you know that you will have money after Christmas, you can also consider giving coupons for gifts that will cost you money, such as a night at the movies, or a nice dinner.

Work for the holidays

As a student, you are probably lucky to have one or two weeks off during the holidays. If you work for one or two days of the holidays, even, then you will earn enough money to buy the gifts that you need to buy. Be sure to give yourself some break, though. You have worked hard enough all semester and you deserve it.

Be charitable

Instead of exchanging gifts with some of your friends, consider doing charitable donations. You can each pick a charity, and then each donate a set amount of money to the other person’s charity. Be sure to send a nice card that says you made a donation in their name.

You could also decide to give each other canned goods for the local foodbank. Buying 6 or 7 dollars of canned goods might not be a lot of money, but it will be a great help for those people who need it. You’ll feel good, you’ll save yourself money, and you and your friends and family will have done a good deed.

Remember

The key to surviving Christmas is to be honest. If you have friends who aren’t in school and who have lots of spending money, the best thing is to explain to them that money is tight this year. Sometimes they forget or don’t know how much being a student costs. Once you remind your family and friends of your budget, they will be more than willing to participate in some of these fun and money-saving holiday suggestions.

Protect your baby - talc is extremely dangerous

Before using body powder on you or your baby, consider that not all body powder products are baby-safe. Body powders as well as baby powders, having talc as main ingredient may do more harm to you and your baby than good.

1. Talc Is Like Abestos!

Talc is a rock that is mined and processed by crushing and grinding, drying the grinded materials, and then milling them. Through processing, a number of trace minerals are eliminated, but some minute fibers that are comparable to ABESTOS are not separated. Talc, as it is cheap and widely available, is the main ingredient of most baby powders, perfumed body powders and medicated body powders. You put yourself and your baby at risk when you inhale these products. Body powder is used after bath to keep skin smelling good or to relieve irritated skin. Plenty of individuals are still unaware of the inextricable connection between talc and asbestos. In fact, these two chemicals are very much alike.

2. Talc Causes Cancer!

Particles of talc can cause lung and ovarian tumors. Studies have clearly shown that constant and repeated use of powder in the female’s genital area lead to cancer! Talc is able to move inside the reproductive system becomes lodged along the ovary lining. Studies show that talc particles are found in the ovarian tumor and researchers say that women with ovarian tumors have the habit of using talcum powder on their genital area.

3. Powder Inhalation Causes Deaths!

Since the early 1980’s, records prove that several infants die each year due to accidental baby powder inhalation. Talc is a household hazard. It is used on babies to prevent diaper rash and to absorb moisture in the skin, keeping babies fresh. Evidently, dusting with baby powder endangers your infant’s lungs as there is great possibility of inhaling the product. It is dangerous to expose your baby to this carcinogen. Swelling and irritation of the lungs may occur when the powder is inhaled, and therefore may lead to breathing difficulties. Also, if talc gets in contact with baby’s rash or broken skin, inflammatory reaction may take place and that could be very uncomfortable.

4. Use A Substitute!

- Instead of powder, use petroleum jelly on babies bottoms every diaper change. It is very effective in preventing diaper rash, because it provides the skin with a film, keeping wetness off the skin.

- Use medicated ointments to treat rashes on babies and on your skin.

- Ask your pediatrician about other options and products that you can safely use as a baby powder substitute.

- Cornstarch mixed with baking soda is a great and safer alternative, to keep you and your baby fresh. It is much coarser than body or baby powder, and you can also add fragrance in it, if you want to smell good after applying it.

5. Products Worth Checking Into

- Neways body and baby powder

- Natural body powder

- Dermaglow Natural body and baby powder

- Lady Emily’s Talc-free body powder

- Johnson’s cornstarch baby powder

- Burt’s bee dusting body powder

- PuriSorb. Very mild, good for all types of skin and formulated with chitosan, aloe vera, tapioca starch, and vitamin E.

6. Guidelines

- Check and read the label. The product MUST be talc-free.

- Check the date on the container and make sure that the product is fresh. Powder that is stored too long can breed bacteria and contaminate your or your baby’s skin.

- Don’t apply baby powder directly from the container. Pour it first on your palm and gently pat it unto baby’s bottom. Keep powder away from baby’s face.

- Likewise, be gentle in applying body powder to yourself. Never dust it on your face and neck directly, to avoid inhaling it, as this can lead to throat irritation.

- Don’t use body powder on both your and your baby girl’s genital area, as well as to areas surrounding it.

- Avoid putting powder on baby’s skin creases, as the powder cakes can build up and encourage bacteria growth and can cause fungal infection.

- If you have sensitive skin, an unscented body powder will be best for you.

- During diaper change, never let your baby play with the powder; it can accidentally spill on his face, causing him to choke, or that he will inhale too much powder and lead to serious lung complication.

Those amazing penguins

The movie, The March of the Penguins, has raised a great amount of interest in penguins. One never imagined penguins to be so driven. Here’s an overview of the amazing penguins.

Known as the little tuxedos, penguins have always seemed a bit odd as animals go. All of that changed, however, with The March of the Penguins, a movie about Emperor Penguins. The movie focuses on the incredible hardships these penguins undergo to be parents. If you haven’t seen the movie, rent it now. It will make you laugh, cry and develop a healthy respect for these majestic animals.

Penguins live in a fairly limited area. They’re primary home is Antarctica. Penguins can also be found in the cold costal areas of New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. There are no penguins in the Arctic. This is the opposite of polar bears which are not found in Antarctica.

There are seventeen species of penguins. The smallest are Rockhoppers, which average roughly twelve inches in height. On the other end of the spectrum are the Emperor Penguins, which average nearly 48 inches in height.

Penguins feed in the water, not on the ice of Antarctica. A typical meal consists of fish, squid or krill. Penguins can hold their breath underwater for six minutes, six times the average human. They are extremely strong swimmers, but can’t swim backwards.

As March of the Penguins revealed, penguins have a unique breading cycle. They only breed once a year and in protected areas called rookeries. Much like salmon, penguins return to the same rookeries each year. Depending on ice flow conditions, they may travel up to 70 miles to reach the rookeries.

Once at the rookeries, penguins will flirt with each other until they find the perfect mate. The female will lay only one egg. She will push the egg to the male who holds it on the top of his feet with his stomach fat hanging over it to keep it warm. He will do this for nine straight weeks and go without food. While he loses up to fifty percent of his body weight, the mother will head back to the ocean to feed as much as she can. She will then return to the rookeries just as the egg hatches and feed the baby from her mouth. The male, in turn, will head off to the ocean to eat and recover his body weight.

When you see penguins in a zoo or water park, you should feel sorry for them. Because they are natives of Antarctica, the natural defense systems in their body are not tailored to germs found outside of the frozen continent. As a result, large numbers die from diseases caused by germs they have no defense to.

Most people, me included, never have given a second thought to penguins. That is too bad since they are truly amazing creatures.

3 ways to help overcome the fear of success

Imagine telling a significant role model in your life something new and exciting. An idea or event that has stimulated you both mentally and physically. It can be anything from trying out for a dramatic play, joining a sports team, beginning a new career, starting a new marriage, losing weight, developing a new outlook, changing your image, or continuing your education. Instead of receiving an encouraging comment, what you hear instead is: “That’s ridiculous,” “You’re always daydreaming,” or “You’ll never make anything out of yourself.”

Negative statements such as the ones mentioned above can create fear of failure and fear of rejection within a person. This situation can leave an individual on the receiving end feeling helpless. Negative attitudes create barriers toward individual accomplishment. The implicit, or unspoken message, is: “Whatever gave you the idea that you are motivated enough?.”

Do you remember a time when you or a friend finally made the team but the coach left you sitting on the bench? What kinds of feelings did you experience? Humiliation? Insecurity? What will it take for you to get off of the bench and become the athlete, the person, you truly want to become. What’s preventing you from speaking up and letting the coach know that you’re one terrific person, and given the chance you’ll prove just how unstoppable you really can become.

Sitting on the bench, and not asserting yourself, is like being in a play without acting out the part. Do you go through life without getting involved one-hundred percent? Maybe it’s because you believe you might fail, or even succeed, at what you set out to accomplish. Do you set yourself up for failure and sabotage your success by telling yourself that you can’t perform well? Is it possible that you allow unproductive and negative vocabulary to dominate your thoughts? Negative self-talk takes away your motivation and is an inner barrier that must be eliminated.

Here are three ways to overcome fear of success:

1. Continually tell yourself that you welcome challenges. Stand ready and willing to challenge yourself to your maximum capacity. Move forward in your communication by deleting all negative self-talk.

2. Believe that whatever you set out to accomplish, you will give it one-hundred percent. Stop providing excuses to blame yourself, becoming disempowered from achieving your goals and increasing your self-esteem. Believe that your “pride of accomplishment” motivates you to eliminate all the “shoulds,” “oughts,” and “musts,” from your vocabulary.

3. Be the best you can. Continually “see” yourself in an evolving way. Stretch every mental, emotional, and physical fiber within you. Believe and feel that you are one dynamite, ecstatic, and powerful person. Remember, your beliefs impact the way you feel and act.

Lincoln s american dream and four new vehicles

Remember the Ford Motor Company’s campaign on people creating and doing ‘Bold Moves’? Well, the Lincoln brand has certainly made sure that they would be having their own campaign. And theirs would be called the ‘American Dream’. Lincoln claims that it would be targeted towards people to pursue and live the American Dream. In fact, this new marketing and advertising campaign has been built on the success of the sales of the Lincoln Mark LT as well as the Lincoln Zephyr. As part of this campaign, the brand would also be showing off and presenting to the public four new vehicles.

To further explain this new strategy of bringing and drawing in customers, Al Giombetti, who is the president of the marketing and sales departments of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury, states, “The ‘Dreams’ marketing platform is about the vision that motivates successful people and the rewards for achieving success. It is an idea that fits perfectly with our brand because we are turning Lincoln into a new American success story on the strength of innovative products. In fact, eighty percent of our showroom is all-new for 2007.”

Sales have certainly gone up for the brand by about eight per cent and they are giving full credit to the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr as well as the Lincoln Mark LT for such an increase in profit. The Lincoln Zephyr is the new midsize sedan which has just been launched last fall. As per the Lincoln Mark LT, it is the brand’s full size luxury pickup truck. Both vehicles have been well acclaimed and have been the target for praise and accolades. Just recently both had been awarded with high marks during the J. D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study. Aside from this, the Lincoln Zephyr took home the Ward’s Auto World “Best Interior Award” for the segment it was in.

Mike Richards, the general marketing manager for Lincoln and Mercury, comments, “Lincoln will build on the success of the 2006 Zephyr and Mark LT with four terrific vehicles that are designed to inspire and reward those who believe in and pursue the American Dream. Each of these vehicles – the new Lincoln MKX, MKZ, Navigator, and Navigator L – will deliver a business class driving experience that will celebrate our customers’ success.”

So you want to become a futures day trader

You wake up one morning with a really BAD idea – you have decided to start making your living by becoming a futures day trader. BUT how can this be such a bad idea, don’t people get rich day trading futures? Where did that idea come from? Did you see one of those ‘work’ for 10 minutes a day and make $4200, ‘get rich quick never lose’ hype system ads? Or did you visit a chatroom, and the ‘resident guru’ made it all sound so easy? Maybe, the title of this article should have been – How To Die A Painful Death Chasing A Carrot.

Get real. IF systems like that really were available, or if day trading really was that easy, wouldn’t everyone be a rich day trader instead of being a statistic in the 90 percent of all day traders fail club? IF you can’t be truly realistic regarding this, truly believing and understanding the odds against you THEN you do not have a chance. You would really be best off ‘giving up’ on this idea about day trading, and save yourself a lot of pain and money.

Over the last nine years, I have known and worked with many traders, and over this time have seen the unrealistic expectations, and problems with their approach towards trading, where people who possibly had a chance to be successful were actually done before they started. I have thought about writing a book about this. The book would not be about how to day trade, but instead, it would be about how to learn how to day trade – the key word being learning NOT trade.

It Can’t Just Be About The Money

How can learning any new skill start with a total focus on the end result, instead of how you plan to achieve that result. That would be no different than trying to put the roof on a house before you built the walls, or expecting to receive your college degree the day that you begin classes. Talk about unrealistic expectations – these are impossibilities – as are any get rich quick trading schemes. Yet many come into day trading as what I refer to as a job replacement ‘trader’, this is a ‘trader’ who tells me the following: I know I need to spend the time making a trading plan and ‘properly’ paper trading it before I start trading real money, but I can’t, I just got laid off from my job and need to trade now to make some money. There is another statistic for the 90 percent club.

When I meet a new trader who has some interest in what I am doing, this is probably the most frequently asked question: how long is it going to take me to be profitable with your method? This ‘trader’ has never traded real money yet, or has been losing at whatever ‘trading’ that they have done, yet what they want to know is how long will take to be profitable with a new method. My answer to questions like these is to first ask my own question: what are you planning to do to learn this method, how can you possibly become profitable with any method before you learn it? I can remember one specific ‘trader’ that I talked to 2-3 times before joining our group. In the conversations this trader told me how many thousands of dollars he had spent on trading systems, methods, and trading groups – it was almost like he was ‘bragging’ about it? He never learned how to trade, and he had never traded profitably. BUT once again the same question came up – how long is it going to take? I told the ‘trader’ my thoughts regarding this, while also saying that if this was the major concern that they would probably never learn it, and they really shouldn’t join the group. The ‘trader’ assured me that this time it would be different BUT it wasn’t – they never studied the training materials, but I would get an email every couple of days asking me when I thought they should start trading real money. And there is another statistic for the 90 percent club.

Trading just can’t be about the money, especially from the beginning, but really at any point in your trading career. Trading is about the process; that process being learning a method and the related trade setups, the creation of what I refer to as a base setup plan. Does it seem logical, that you actually need ‘something’ to trade before you get rich trading it? After this is done, start paper trading this plan in order to gain enough screen time and repetition that you can make adjustments – learning your mistakes and misreads that you make in real time execution. Accomplish this, and then begin to keep profitability records of your paper trading, first trading for profitability, and then trading for proficiency where you concern yourself with the percentage of profit potential you are gaining, not simply whether you make a profit.

How long is this going to take to do? Who knows, but there sure aren’t any shortcuts. Actually, it probably won’t ever happen. Paper trading to a proficient level really is a very difficult thing to accomplish, as ‘traders’ aren’t willing to work hard enough, and with the necessary commitment, as there is no financial reward from paper trading. Furthermore, since there is also no financial risk, paper trading is quite often turned into a game and becomes of a waste of time, and creation of bad habits that become to hard to change. But skip the process altogether, because you want to start making all of that money that caused you to decide to become a day trader to begin with AND – another statistic for the 90 percent club.

Introduction To Trading Psychology

I would guess that most everyone has had experience with some kind of real time performance stress before. Maybe it was a college final, or maybe it was related to athletics, maybe you had to give a speech, or maybe you were in a theatrical performance. Whatever the case may be, for myself, as well as anyone else I remember talking to, nothing was even similar to the ‘feelings’ that were ‘brought on’ by day trading real money real time. My background included athletics, and I can remember pitching in a state final baseball game, and I can remember last second free-throws in tournament basketball games – it was a piece of cake when compared to starting to trade real money. Nothing can prepare you for risking your money on an unknown outcome, of which you have no physical control, while watching price bars that all of a sudden have seemed to start ‘ticking’ at the speed of light – with your heart racing and the inability to sit still and the dry mouth and the sweaty palms and the feeling like you are going to puke – etc etc etc. Doesn’t that sound like fun – I will bet that get rich trading scheme didn’t mention any of this?

IF you are going to get through these emotions known as trading psychology, and all the different fears and forms that it can take on, it is going to be involved with your preparation, repetition, and understanding of that base setup plan, along with the knowledge that you have been able to paper trade it proficiently. No, it’s not the same as real money, and you will still have to become used to executing real time BUT at least you do have the confidence in knowing that what you are going to trade does work, and on a level in excess of simple profitability. It will take time for these emotions to leave you, and maybe some never will, but that is all right. It is not necessary to eliminate all emotion to be able to profitably trade, it is necessary to control them, and being able to have the self trust that although you can’t ‘know’ what is going to happen, you can ‘know’ what you are doing and that you will act as closely as possible to the intended ‘plan’. Does going through a learning process that includes paper trading still sound like a waste of time? No problem – there is still plenty of room in the 90 percent club.

Work Ethic And The Fear Of Failure

Again I am thinking about that question – how long is it going to take to profitably trade your method? I don’t know, are you really going to work your hardest? The fear of failure can take on many manifestations. What I have seen quite frequently, is how this fear is related to the ‘traders’ sense of self esteem and self worth – that failing at this, failing at anything, will make them ‘less’ of a person, and they can’t risk allowing this to happen. Consequently, they never work their hardest at learning to trade. They won’t put it all on the line, they always hold something back. Why? Because by doing this there will always be a ‘built in’ excuse for failing – IF I had really tried my hardest THEN I am sure that I could have done it. The result is obviously the same, but at least they don’t have to blame themselves or take a ‘hit’ on that precious ego. Is failing at learning to do something, and being a failure really the same thing? In my way of thinking, trying your very hardest and not being able to do something is just the way it goes some times. We aren’t going to be able to do everything we try, no matter how hard we work at it. Failure on the other hand is what I described – failing because you didn’t ‘step up’ and try your hardest, instead you ‘held back’ trying to protect yourself. You want to learn to day trade, check your ego at the door before you start – or you too can join the 90 percent club.

Do You Still Want To Make Your Living Day Trading?

Have I talked you out of becoming a day trader – do you still think this is a great ‘get rich quick’ way of making your living? Although it wasn’t my intentions to change anyone’s mind, if this is what has happened, then I am glad. Yes, trading can be ‘lucrative’, and yes, you can get ‘rich’ trading, but you have such a long road to travel before this can occur. Many people ‘say’ they know this, but they don’t really ‘believe’ it. They think that they will be different, they think that they will be the one that ‘bucks’ these odds BUT then they won’t go about it differently. If nothing else, it should be very clear, that if 90% of all day traders lose, then to have a chance at being successful, you obviously are going to have to approach this differently than the vast majority does. Go for it BUT focus on the process, have reasonable expectations of what is really involved, and then do what is necessary to learn how to trade – that 90% club is far too big.

No time for exercise try this

“Fitness” is an elusive term covering a vast array of attributes: flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, power, balance, coordination, body-fat percentage and more. While its generally accepted that multiple 30-60 minute sessions per week are optimal for producing results, the truth is that it’s possible to do a great amount in far less time.

EVERYONE has five minutes a day…the only question is, can anything really useful be done in just 300 seconds?

The answer is a resounding “yes”, but we need choose our exercises carefully. If there is such a limited amount of time, the best choice is to pick the most important muscle group. Chest? Back? Shoulders? Legs? All wrong. The abdominals are the most important muscles in the body. In no particular order, they:

1) Protect the low back.

2) Are vital to sports performance, transferring power from the lower to upper body.

3) Aid digestion, and massage the internal organs.

4) Are important for proper, healthy sexual function.

5) Are “the window of health”—we judge fitness and health more rapidly with a glimpse at the waistline than any other single indication.

6) Are vital for posture, which increases physical energy and mood.

7) Are the linchpin of your entire fitness program. You’ve never seen someone with toned abdominal muscles and flabby arms and legs, have you? The reverse is not true.

8) Are the most important muscle group for physical attractiveness in men or women. No matter the wonderful definition of arms or legs, if your gut is sagging, you have a problem!

There are other reasons, but one of the best is the fact that of all body parts, the abs tend to be the least favorite body part to work. They’re hard! That reason alone should be enough to motivate you: anything other people don’t like working is a golden opportunity for you!

But how can you do anything useful in just five minutes? One daily approach is to perform five minutes of the toughest ab exercises you can find, and a fantastic tool for this is a “Roller Wheel” available for five dollars at any sporting goods store. Not the fancy ones, just the simple get-on-your-knees variety. Try this: perform one rep, and take a breath. Then do two reps, and take two breaths. Then three, and take three breaths…and so on until you can’t go any higher. Then, drop back to one rep, and start climbing again. When that gets easy, take one breath for every two reps.

An even better method is to break up your exercise into multiple daily sessions. The roller wheel is useful here as well, but you might want to investigate some of the powerful “Vacuum” exercises from yoga, or the dynamic-tension style “stomach flattening” exercises. In these, you exhale all air, and flex the abdominal muscles for several seconds. Believe me, if you do these properly, even without aerobic exercise your waistline will decrease!

While there is no serious disagreement that longer sessions produce better, and more balanced results, the busiest man or woman on earth can find five minutes a day…and sometimes, that toehold is what it takes to get you started on a new, healthier lifestyle.

What is a home based business you could start

Looking to start a new home based business? If so, you know that you have to have the right products in order for your business to be successful. Here are suggestions for a few home based business categories to start with.

A home based business starts at home everyday, may go out of the house during the day, and ends up back at home. Be sure and have a separate business phone line because a home-based business can get calls 24 hours a day.

Service businesses are ex maples of home-based businesses. Maybe you have some talent for finishing basements, but do not want the hassle or the overhead of employees and renting a brick and mortar store.

You can run your business out of your home, but do your work where the work is. Plumbing, electrical, landscaping, heating and cooling, cleaning carpets, etc are examples of home-based businesses that you could do.

Perhaps the main thing about starting your own home business is to choose an industry you have an expertise or a passion for. You want to do this everyday for more than just the money. Enjoying what you do is equally as important and is going to be one of the keys to your success.

Another form of a home-based business is Internet marketing. Selling stuff online is a great way to make money and stay at home doing it. You can run your business 24 hours a day anywhere you have Internet access. For people who like to travel this is a great business to be in and still travel anywhere you want to go.

Affiliate marketing and network marketing are two popular ways to earn money on the Internet. Again try and find products to sell that you have an interest in. This is especially easy to do with affiliate marketing because almost every product made in the world has companies looking for affiliates.

Being an affiliate means you are a salesperson for that product. All you do is sell for the company you represent. They provide things like website and marketing material. They also collect the money and ship the product. Usually once or twice a month they will send you a check or pay you via the Internet with PayPal or direct deposit.

Network marketing is similar to affiliate marketing with one big difference. You can get paid on the efforts of hundreds or even thousands of people's sales. With affiliate marketing you get paid on your own sales and if the affiliate program is a 2-tier program you can get paid on one level of personally recruited affiliates.

In the end, the final choice for your home-based business will be up to you. Use these tips and examples to come up with your own ideas on how to work at home, or out of your home, with your own business.

Summary: Looking to start a new home-based business? Here are suggestions for a few home based business categories to start with.

5 big mistakes that bloggers make

If you've just entered the world of blogging or if you've been blogginh for a short time and find that things are not working out as you expected, it will be worth your while to spend some time understanding the common mistakes that bloggers make, mistakes that make it hard to enjoy what should be an enjoyable, satisfying experience: Blogging!

The five most common new blogger mistakes are:

Diving in (rather than wading in)

Having unrealistic expectations

Losing focus

Plagiarizing

Ignoring the reader

Diving in! Many bloggers are so anxious to get started that they dive in rather than wading in slowly -- its a mistake in an unfamiliar swimming pool or pond and its a mistake when entering a new arena such as the 'blogosphere.' Consider these things before you start your Blog:

Find a focus for your blog . . . a focus that reflects what you know, what interests you and what you enjoy talking and writing about. No topics are out of bounds: politics, religion, science, sexual orientations, comedy, exercise, diet, diseases, etc., etc..

Take the time to read dozens of different blogs: note the colors, graphics and layouts to get an idea of what appeals to you. Also note that some bloggers are long-winded and others are brief and to the point . . . others are just chatty and entertaining and have no particular point to make . . . this too is a personal style you get to choose.

You need a host for your blog, some are free, some charge a small amount per month for their service, some are simple to use and some require more technical knowledge, some have more features than others; choose carefully, once you've established your blog and have a few regular readers you may not want to change your address (your URL).

You may or may not want to use your real name on your blog, this depends on many factors, not the least of which is your stance on controversial issues and how publicly you want to be identified with your opinions.

Unrealistic expectations! If you come to blogging expecting instant results: a large readership and many complimentary comments, you may be disappointed. There are tens of thousands of blogs online vying for the same audience. Patience and tenacity are essential on your part. If you write well, find a unique niche to fill, have appealing titles for your posts and tirelessly promote your blog the readership and comments (some of which will be complimentary) will come.

Losing focus! When you started your blog you had a particular reason for doing so; it might have been to express your views on a topic or it might have been to just communicate with a close circle of friends about your daily activities. Readers will come to your blog for the first time and either be interested in your subject matter or not, will either like your style or not and, if they like your subject and style they may comment and then come back later. Once you've established a topic and tone for your blog you're free to change it but to do so you're basically starting all over.

Be aware that you can have more than one blog, each one devoted to a particular topic and each one, if you choose, under a different identity.

Plagiarizing! There are some great bloggers out there and as you surf through blogs you might find one who said something really well, something that resonated with you and something you want to put in your blog. DON'T just copy and paste someone's words in your blog without giving them credit, making it look to the world like the words are yours. If you write it, write it in your own words and write it better, adding your own thoughts and feelings and then be gracious, mention where you got the idea and provide a link.

Ignoring the reader! Some of the people who read your blog will leave comments; some readers will agree with you and some readers may even praise your insights but most will pick a point you've made and criticize it. People leave comments on others blogs for the same reason they themselves blog, to exchange ideas and express their points of view. Always respond to your readers comments; thank them for reading and taking the time to comment (even the severe critics) and then respond, as appropriate, to their comment. If you ignore your comments your readers may end up ignoring your blog.

How to run a successful hosting business

Running a hosting business

Any business planning on selling web hosting to their clients should consider a lot of important aspects of how to run a successful web hosting company. Many hosts lose clients daily due to lack of support, long periods of downtime, not providing enough service, the list is endless. In this short article I am going to outline ways you can become a successful host.

1 – Reliability

In my opinion I think that the most important part of a successful web host is the uptime of their servers. For clients and this is from experience if you try and access your emails, or web site and both are constantly down because the server is offline, it can be the most annoying thing in the world.

Downtime can be a major factor for a web host to lose clients, for the simple fact that they are paying for a service that they are not receiving. Many hosts offer an uptime guarantee of around 99%, which is acceptable because servers will go down from time tot time.

A good way to maintain a reliable server, if is monitor every server and this can be done easily using one of the number monitoring services available, More information about server uptime monitoring can be found in this forum.

2 – Customer Service

Again this is an important factor of a host that potential clients look for, a good host will offer a variety of ways for their clients to get in contact with them. Some of the popular support options that hosts offer are live support, email, phone and fax.

In the event that a client’s web site goes down for whatever reason, they want to know that they will be able to contact their host and get the problem resolved. If a client finds it hard to contact their host, they can become frustrated.

I would recommend if you are going to open a web hosting business, ensure that you do offer good customer support.

3 – Price

The price of your hosting service must be reasonable, finding a mid-point between offering a good service and making a profit can be hard to find. I would recommend looking at the services on offer from a number of other hosts. However I wouldn’t try and offer too much, without setting a price that as the host you can maintain.

In my opinion I believe that reliability, customer support and price are important to clients looking for a good web host, and to succeed as a host, should be able to offer these to their clients.

Buying discount watches online

When buying a discount watch on the internet their are several things one needs to watch out for. If you are buying a brand name watch like a Casio, Timex, Citizen, Seiko or even a higher end Watch Like an Omega or Movado make sure that the company you are purchasing from is reputable. See if they offer any kind of a return policy as well as any kind of warrantee on the watch. Many discount watches online these days are knock offs or gray market watches which do not carry a warrantee by the manufacturer.

Cheaper brands like Timex and Casio are usually gray market goods which means that they do not carry a manufacturers warrantee at all, therefore it is important to see if the online site owner offers any sort of a warrantee at all. If the watch does come directly from the manufacturer then you don't have to worry and if any trouble arises you can then just send the watch in for repair or replacement. Their is a lot of gray market goods on the internet especially Ebay. The watches are the same quality as what you would get from the maker directly. What is done is that buyers will bypass the watch company directly and approach the actual factories. By buying from the factory direct they can get a much better price. The quality is the same. The only draw back is that you do not have a warrantee therefore if the watch is defective you are not covered by a manufacturers warrantee. Usually the way you can tell if the watch his gray market is by the price. If you go and look on the internet use something like froogle and see what the current price seems to be. Anyone undercutting that price by a great deal is usually selling gray market or knock off watches. If you think about it this way everyone is selling to make money so if someone is selling at a price that is so greatly reduced that they cant possibly make anything you should be asking yourself why.

Finding a higher end watch at a discount online can be quite tricky, it is actually easier to find a knock off. Most of your high end watch companies like Rolex, Movado, Omega, Rado and Tag do not allow selling of their product on the internet, therefore many of the online sites that sell these higher end watches will sell the watch to you, but before they do they will take the serial numbers off to hide where the watch came from. Since most of the higher end models have unique identifying serial numbers on them. They can be used to track the watch back to a particular watch seller. Since a lot of the hihger end makers don't want the product sold on the web they will go and make purchases online to see if they can track the watch back from the account that it came from which will get the account closed. For this reason the serial numbers are removed. In doing this the manufacturer will not honor the warrantee. If you decide to buy one of these watches online make sure the site you buy from offers a warrantee. Most will offer a 3 year warrantee which replaces the one of the manufacturer.

So if you do want to buy a watch online at a cheaper price please make sure you look at these factors so you are not disappointed by your purchase. Lately knock offs have become very popular and they are a viable alternative to buying a high end watch. You can get a good knock off for 2 to 300 dollars. Most of them even come with a 2 year warrantee. I have seen a few of these and they are difficult to identify as a fake unless you are a horologist you will not be able to tell the difference until you actually crack the case open.

Visa business credit cards

The Visa Business Credit Card is one of the most popular business credit cards serving the business market today. Recognizing that businesses appreciate the need for good cash management, Visa offers business credit cards designed to provide business people with purchasing convenience, cost savings, instant access to credit when they need it and complete, detailed reporting of all business expenses charged to their Visa business credit cards.

Visa business credit cards can be obtained from any one of the many issuers that are affiliated to Visa. The credit card packages are likely to vary from one issuer to the next, but there are certain features that are universally applicable to any business credit card issued under the Visa brand. These universal features, privileges and benefits, will typically include the following:

Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

All Visa business credit card holders are covered for damages due to collision or theft, at no added cost. This benefit reimburses you for the costs incurred to repair or replace covered losses on a hired vehicle that you paid for with your business credit card. The only condition is that the vehicle should have been exclusively used for business purposes. When you rent the vehicle on your eligible Visa business credit card, remember to decline if the rental company offers its own collision damage waiver. This will activate your Visa coverage. If the rental company is adamant and insists that you buy their policy, call your benefits administrator. In the case of theft or damage to the rented vehicle, you will first call the Visa benefits administrator before speaking to anybody else. He or she will then advise you how to proceed.

Purchase Security and Extended Protection

The purchase security benefit entitles the business credit card holder to replacement, repair or reimbursement for eligible personal property that you completely paid for with your Visa business credit card (up to $10,000 per claim and up to a total of $50,000 per business credit card holder). Extended protection doubles the original manufacturer’s warranty period. This period is capped at 12 months.

Gifts purchased for others on your business credit card are covered by this benefit. The only challenge is that you will be requested to file a claim, and that the intended recipient will be required to provide documents in substantiation of the claim. You must develop the habit of keeping your copies of the Visa business credit card receipts as well as the store receipts, since these will be required as supporting documents to any claim you may file.

There is a host of exclusions on the items or situations that are not covered by the Visa purchase security and extended protection business credit card benefits, so you should review these with care.

Travel Emergency Assistance

Visa business credit card holders are assured of 24-hour assistance from appropriate emergency services when these are required. The benefit covers you, your immediate family members and your business associates. This special service for business credit card holders provides contact assistance and referral. You will still be responsible for all costs and expenses incurred with the suppliers of these emergency services, which could include ambulances, doctors, hospitals and towing. The upside is that you can pay for these with your card as the vast majority of emergency services know and accept the Visa brand.

How to become a vegas showgirl

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All of the big Las Vegas casinos put on shows to attract crowds to the casino, and instead of hiring new dancers every time the change the show, they hire full time dancers and these girls are called Showgirls.

If you have ever thought about putting elaborate costumes and dancing in front of crowds every night, then becoming a Vegas Showgirl may be the job for you.

Being a Vegas Showgirl is not an easy job. You must be in top physical condition if you expect to be a professional dancer, and it is important to remember that not everyone will make it, becoming a professional dancer is a roll of the dice, you have better odds of winning an
Online Craps game then making it as a dancer.

There are several things you can do to help improve your chances of getting your carrier as a Las Vegas Casino dancer started:

Dance lessons, if you want to be a professional dancer you have to learn several different styles of dance, and dance them all well. This may be the hardest part to becoming a dancer. This part will take many years and require you to spend several hours a day every day taking dancing lessons.

Physical Conditioning, dancing requires lots of endurance and stamina. Besides the workouts you will get from all the dancing lessons you will take you will also need to work out on your own regularly. These workouts should include aerobic and some weight training.

Weight training should not be done to build muscle mass only for building strength and muscle toning. The best way to do this is by doing high repetition counts of low weights. This method will make the existing muscles stronger but will not bulk you up.

To pursue a carrier in dancing in a Vegas Casinos it is important to target the leg, stomach and back muscle groups. It is from these muscle groups that a dancer moves.

Diet, Dancers are required to be tossed around and lifted into the air, not to mention the fact that most dancers are skin tight and for these reasons dancers must always watch their weight.

Many Las Vegas Showgirls have to get on the scale every week and if they gain weight they could get thrown out of the show. Always remember there are many people that dream of dancing professionally, and the casinos will not hesitate to throw a girl out and replace her for the slightest reason.

Once you feel you are good enough you can start sending in resumes. A resume should include each different style of dance that you know and how long you have been doing it, and it should also include all prior dance experience.

A good way to get experience is to get yourself in as many different things you can. Local theater groups are a great way to gain experience. Getting a job as a dance instructor Is also a good way to gain experience and practice at the same time.

By sending your resume to all the different casinos you can greatly increase your chances of getting at least one audition. Do not expect to get hired at the more popular casinos on your first audition. The bigger Las Vegas casinos usually like to hire girls with more experience, so you will probably have to work as a showgirl at a smaller casino first.

How to build great links for your web site

Building effective links is one of the most time consuming and challenging aspects of web site design. Ultimately, link building can spell the difference between a high search engine ranking web page and one that disappears in a sea of similar web sites, so it is best to take the time to do it right.

There are certainly newer search engine algorithms being developed for the web but effective linking continues to be the most decisive factor in search engine optimization and will likely be for several years more.

Links as the name implies, are the most basic connectors to all the pages on the Interent and is the easiest way for a given application to gauge the relevance and integrity of a web page.

People love lists; find a way to integrate a list into your site. This can be anything from a list of tips or things to avoid or a list suggested reading, for example. Lists give the impression of being a definitive source of information and many people will want to link to them.

Often people will link to a site if they feel that it is an authority on a given subject; they will then feel confident about recommending that site to other people. That is what link building is all about after all, a sort of digital referral or stamp of approval.

Every web site should strive to have reliable and well-researched content. Try to keep your content informative but simple; if no one can understand what your web site says they probably won’t want to link to it! Check your text for spelling or grammatical errors; a web site riddled with poor spelling and bad sentence construction doesn’t seem very professional or authoritative.

Online news sites are a good way to establish links. Some of the things you can do are: submit an article for online publication or syndicate an article with a news site. Reputable sites usually enjoy a high search engine rank for their articles and receive plenty of traffic. You may also send press releases or trade articles with other sites…or even write an article about another site and ask then to link back to your site; most will be happy to repay the favor.

Establish contacts with the Better Business Bureau or the Chamber of Commerce in your area or the relevant city and state government offices. You may even look around closer to home by submitting your link to the local library or exchanging links with local businesses in your area; even non-competing businesses in the same field.

Consider starting an affiliate program; it may not lead directly to high SEO value but it can still prove useful in providing additional links.

Submit your site to directories that allow free submissions such as DMOZ (dmoz. org) or even paid directories. You can even take this a step further by creating your own directory of similar web sites. You can obviously link to your own site here and even include other important pages in addition to the home page. Quality listings are important here so if it is a useful directory to the most number of people, it will easily attract links.

You may want to post a link to your site in classifieds sites such as Craigslist or if you belong to user groups like Yahoo and Google groups it is often acceptable to post links to your site if you are asking or answering a question. Just make sure it is in the context of the discussion, as most people do not take kindly to being spammed.

Reviews are another great way to get people to link to your site. If you have a reputable looking site and carry informative, well-written reviews, there’s a good chance that your articles will receive high search engine rankings. Try to keep your reviews on-topic, informative and thorough, and be specific whenever possible.

Blogging has become an integral part of the Internet and is one of the most effective means of linking; you can either drop a few words of comment on someone’s blog or link to them from your own blog. Most blogs will be happy to link back to you. Try to update your blog regularly and post interesting content so people will want to link to you.

If your budget permits, explore the possibility of hiring a professional web-linking publicist (yes they do exist!) or consultant for your web site. If you choose carefully this will free you up to take care of other areas of your web site and leave the details of link building to the experts.

Those are a few things to do to create good links, what about things you should avoid? These methods will actually hurt your visibility on the web as it may cause search engines to ban your site or ignore it altogether!

Do not spam forums! Nobody likes a spammer and can usually tell if someone joins a discussion forum for the sole purpose of self-promotion. A sure way to annoy people is to post a non-relevant reply to a question and then include a link…or worse not even answer the question at all!

Choose carefully when submitting your site to directory services; a poor one won’t help increase your traffic at all and may carry out-of-date or off topic links.

When asking someone to link to your site, make sure that there is a good reason why he should; maybe your site is similar to his own in subject matter or your site showcases him, his products or his web site in a favorable light.

Take the time to compose a polite, well written personal request for linking. It doesn’t have to be long but the important thing is to make it seem like a genuine request as opposed to an impersonal, automated email. Do not pester a Webmaster with several, persistent emails; it is annoying and will not likely help your cause any. If you don’t get a reply, move on.